GRAHAM COXON - With Blur's reunion well underway, the odd-one-out comes clean about his troubled past and his private sketchpad

4 pages

PRINCE - Twenty-five years ago, Prince knew he was a genius. The rest of the world, however, needed a little convincing. How to change this? Teach your band and friends how to act, hire a rookie director who can "tell my life story in 10 minutes", and convince Hollywood to bankroll a musical. The result? Purple Rain. A film that grossed $70 million, an album that sold 20 million copies, and the greatest triumph of one of rock's true superstars. This is the inside story...

5 pages

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - With new interviews and unseen photos, we chart the group's incredible ascent from artrock outsiders to the most influential band of all time. "We were basically uncontrollable," admits John Cale

12 pages

WILD BEASTS - The brilliant Lake District band on the perils of being "northern and intelligent..."